Getting into a collision with an 18-wheeler can be a traumatic, painful, and often fatal experience. The complexities of these cases require an experienced Michigan 18-wheeler accident lawyer. Our skilled team at White Law PLLC will work to fight for your rights to get the compensation you deserve and get back on your feet.
Many people are unsure of whether they should hire an attorney for their accident. When in doubt, you should contact a Michigan truck accident lawyer and get a consultation to see if you can benefit from legal representation. Navigating cases like this can be challenging when you are healthy, but it can be exhausting to do while trying to recover from injuries.
Determining Liability in Your 18-Wheeler Truck Accident
Some of the avenues a personal injury lawyer in Michigan may investigate are:
- Driving Logs
- Maintenance Records
- Black Box Data
- Personnel Records
These can shed light on what might have gone wrong and why.
Liability is the focus of any truck or car accident case. Determining who is responsible for injuries and any compensatory damages to be paid as a result is the primary purpose of investigation and settlement. Your 18-wheeler accident lawyer in Michigan may look into several components of the case to determine this.
The Importance of Investigation to Determining Liability
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) governs truckers’ overall practices and safety. They enforce strict standards on driving and rest requirements for drivers to ensure they are not driving overly tired. Many studies have shown that just 18 hours without sleep can mimic a blood alcohol content of .05%, so showing that a driver exceeded the appropriate limits may indicate that the driver is responsible.
Checking Maintenance records can assist in determining if this was an error on the mechanic’s end if something with the breaks failed because they were poorly maintained, or if perhaps there is an actual mechanical issue that might mean defective parts in the truck. Personnel records may shed light on poor training practices or disciplinary problems with the driver that might be the company’s responsibility.
Your Fight Is Our Fight
18-Wheeler Accidents
18-wheelers are part of our daily life and are responsible for delivering much of our needs. Though any fatality is too many, Michigan sees relatively low truck fatality numbers. Michigan saw almost 1700 fatal car accidents in the most recent reporting year. Only 108 big trucks were involved, accounting for only 6.5% of trucking fatalities.
Accidents with big trucks tend to be more dangerous and result in more injuries than a typical accident. This is mainly due to the size and weight difference between a standard car and a truck. In Michigan, a fully loaded truck can weigh around 160,000 lbs., while the average vehicle sold in America in the last reporting year was 4,329 lbs.
18-wheeler accidents can become more complex than the typical car accident simply due to the amount of people involved. From the beginning, the active parties are you, the driver, the trucking company, the vehicle owner, and both of your insurance companies. Hiring an 18-wheeler accident attorney in Michigan can take you out of the chaos and allow you time to heal.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Many of the common causes of truck accidents are not unlike those of car accidents. Frequently, they result from behaviors or occurrences such as:
- Inattention
- Inexperience
- Improperly Loaded Cargo
- Improperly Secured Cargo
- Substance Use or Abuse
- Speeding
- Poor Driving
- Weather or Road Conditions
- Poorly Maintained Truck
Any one or any combination of these things can cause an accident and life-changing injuries.
We know how to get our clients the results they need in the toughest legal arenas.
Things Your 18 Wheeler Truck Accident Attorney Can Do for You
Truck Accidents can involve a lot of money. Money invested in the truck, money in the cargo, money in the immense damage an accident can cause. Where there is a lot of money, things tend to get complicated.
Hiring a Michigan 18-wheeler accident lawyer can help you keep things simple by assisting you with some tasks in building your case, like recovering essential documents such as a police report or connecting you with the appropriate specialists to best evaluate and treat your specific injuries. They might take over communication with the other parties involved, including other lawyers and insurance agents.
Our truck accident attorney might also be able to buy you time and emotional energy to heal by managing the settlement negotiations. They will bring any updates and offers to you and discuss them, then return to the talks on your behalf. All you have to do is be available to your attorney.
We understand that you may be going through a difficult situation and we are ready to help however we can.
Damages to Claim in an 18-Wheeler Accident
Frequently, in truck accidents, the damages claimed are for medical bills and physical recovery. This is an important and potentially costly part of the process. This may include pain and suffering for any additional stress or anxiety that the accident caused. Many people may walk away from a truck accident experiencing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Some of the common injuries seen in trucking accidents are:
- Broken Bones
- Concussion
- Internal Bleeding
- Lacerations
- Loss of Limb
- Anxiety or Depression
- Recurring Nightmares
- Loss of Quality of Life
All of the above-listed injuries can dramatically affect someone’s quality of life. If you have suffered a significant injury, you deserve someone to fight for you when you are at one of your most vulnerable times.
You will always work directly with your attorney throughout your case.
Call Your Michigan 18-Wheeler Accident Attorney Today
When you have been victimized in an accident with a truck, an experienced 18-wheeler accident attorney in Michigan may give you the peace of mind to focus on your physical and mental recovery while we tackle the day-to-day needs of your case. Recovery is hard, but our goal is to get compensation to help you get back on your feet.
With over 20 years of combined experience and steady investment in the community, White Law PLLC can be an advocate for you. We have served over 30,000 clients and recovered over $1 billion for our clients. Reach out to us for a free case consultation.
We’re Experienced. We Care.
We Exceed Client Expectations.
